SSP pulls out of UK ferry retail

Lorna Strickland

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The catering company exits retail operations on two UK ferry lines citing "commercial reasons"

Catering specialist Select Service Partners (SSP) has terminated its travel-retail contracts with cross-Channel ferry operators Norfolkline and SpeedFerries. The retail arm of the catering company ended its contracts early in summer leaving both operators without any onboard retail facilities for weeks.

SSP managing director Tim Moss told RavenFox.com: "In the past, largely as a consequence of discussions with ferry operators who were looking for a single operator to run all the on-board services, we have operated travel-retail in addition to food and beverage services."

Moss added that the decision had been taken for "commercial reasons".

SpeedFerries and Norfolkline have now brought their retail operations in-house and have re-opened their onboard shopping facilities.